“Thoughts on the death of a beloved actor” by Rhiannon Giddens

August 2nd, 2014

Rhiannon is one of the great talents of the early 21st century. Incredible voice, fantastic on banjo and fiddle, and great selection of songs. In addition to her work with the Carolina Chocolate Drops, she’s recently been working with T-Bone Burnett. I look forward to hearing that.

Her comments here are as well said as anything I’ve seen.

“Thoughts upon the death of a beloved actor”

i darkly go where you can’t reach– the depths of viscous shadow i curl myself and grit my teeth of what, it doesn’t matter

i only know i have no claim of conscious choice, or need this suffocation has no name nor patronage, nor creed

it cloaks me in wet company and when i never know in suddenness it comes to me and then it lets me go

it cares not where the surface lies nor how bright the sun nor how close the lover’s sighs it finds me on the run

i yearn to tell you how it is trapped in this horrid dance but, love, what makes me saddest is i’ll never get the chance.